The Babel Message

A Love Letter to Language

The Babel Message
Keith Kahn-Harris
RRP:
NZ$ 35.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 28.79
Paperback
h198 x 129mm - 336pg
6 Oct 2022 UK
International import eta 10-19 days
9781785788956
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Keith Kahn-Harris is a man obsessed with something seemingly trivial - the warning message found inside Kinder Surprise eggs: WARNING, read and keep: Toy not suitable for children under 3 years. Small parts might be swallowed or inhaled. On a tiny sheet of paper, this message is translated into dozens of languages - the world boiled down to a multilingual essence. Inspired by this, the author asks: what makes ' a language' ? With the help of the international community of language geeks, he shows us what the message looks like in Ancient Sumerian, Zulu, Cornish, Klingon - and many more. Along the way he considers why Hungarian writing looks angry, how to make up your own language, and the meaning of the heavy metal umlaut. Overturning the Babel myth, he argues that the messy diversity of language shouldn' t be a source of conflict, but of collective wonder. This is a book about hope, a love letter to language.
' Quite simply, and quite ridiculously, one of the funniest and most illuminating books I have ever read. I thought I was obsessive, but Keith Kahn-Harris is playing a very different sport. He really has discovered the whole world in an egg. ' - Simon Garfield
KEITH KAHN-HARRIS is a sociologist and writer. He combines freelance writing with an academic teaching and research career. The Babel Message is his seventh book. His website is kahn-harris. org. He lives in London.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9781785788956
Published: 6 Oct 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Icon Books
Publisher: Icon Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 198mm
Width: 129mm
Spine: 24mm
Weight: 290g
Pages: 336

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